Tailpiece for banjos



Patented May 2, |899.

C. S. DE LAND.

TAILPIECE FOR BANJOS.

v (Application filed Jan. 20, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

CHARLES s. DE LANo, on VLos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TA|LP|ECE FOR BANJOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,309, dated May 2,1899.

Application led January 20, 1899. Serial No. 702,814. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. DE LANo, 'a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new l and useful Improvements inTailpieces for Banjos and other Stringed Instruments, of which thefollowing isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved tailpiece for banjos and otherstringed instruments; and myinvention consists in certain features ofnovelty hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure I is a perspective view of a fragment of a banjo, showing myimproved tailpiece attached thereto. Fig. II is a vertical section takenon line II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a top view of the tailpiece. Fig. IVis a bottom view. Fig. V is a side elevation of one of the knobs forholding the end of the string. Fig. VI is a transverse section taken online VI VI, Fig. VII. Fig. VII is a vertical-section taken on line VIIVII, Fig. VI. Fig. VIII is a side elevation of the bolt for holding thetailpiece. Fig. IX is a top view of said bolt.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the body of the banjo, 2 theparchment covering, and 3 the removable band or ring for holding thecovering in place.

4 represents the usual bolts, which have their outer ends hooked overthe ring 3 for holding said ring in position, the lower end of the boltsbeing secured to brackets 5 on the body 1.

6 represents the body of the tailpiece, said body having avertically-extending plate 7, curved, as shown at 8, to lit the ring 3of the instrument.

8 represents a horizontally-extending flange on the upper end of theplate 7, said flange fitting over the top of the ring 3 and restingthereon. 9 represents a series of knobs or posts secured to said flange8 by being riveted thereto or by other suitable means, said knobsserving to partially hold the strings 10, said strings being woundaround the knobs.

11 represents a shelf extending horizontally at the lower end of theplate 7, the outer face 12 of said shelf being convex in contour. The

shelf 11 is provided with an aperture 13, through which theretaining-bolt 14 is inserted, said bolt 14 having one side of its head15 flattened, as shown at 16, the opposite side of the head being curvedor convex in contour, as shown at 17, in order to harmonize with theconvex face 12 of the shelf 11. The lower end of the bolt 14 is securedto a stud 1S on the body of the banjo.

19 represents a vertically-extending flange connected with the outerface of the shelf 1l,

said flange being also convex on its outer face.

2O represents a series of knobs secured to the ange 19 either byriveting or other suitable means, said knobs being circular in transAverse section and having heads 2l at their outer ends and shoulders 22,forming a bearing against the outer face of the iiange 19, saidshoulders and heads being of greater di ameter in transverse sectionthan the center of the knobs, theknobs between the shoulders and headscurving inwardly, as shown at 23.

24 represents orifices through the centers of the knobs, through whichthe ends 25 of the strings are placed in placing the strings upon theinstrument. After the end of the string has beeninserted in the orifices24E the body of the string is passed around the knob, as shown in Fig.VI. The end of the string is securely held by the friction or thebinding of the same in the orifices when the body of the string has beenlapped around the knob. The curved body of the knob being of lessdiameter than the head and shoulder ofthe same, the tendency of thelapped portion of the string is to move to the center of the knob, thusavoiding any danger of the string passing over the outer ends of theknobs and the shoulder preventing it from coming in too close a contactwith the face of the flange,

IOC

point of strain on the plate being close to the rim of the instrument.The outer face of the shelf l1 being convex in contour permits of agreater space between the outer ends of the knobs, thus affording readyaccess thereto in securing the ends of the strings.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a tailpiece the combination, of avertically-extending curved plate, a horizontallyextending fiange at theupper end of the plate, knobs secured to said flange, ahorizontallyextending shelf at the lower end of the plate, said shelfhaving its outer face convex in contour and a vertically-extendingflange depending from the outer face of the shelf, and curved tocorrespond therewith, and knobs secured to said flanges, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a tailpiece the combination, of a Vertical plate, ahorizontally-extending flange connected with the upper end of the plateby a curved bend, a shelf at the lower end of the plate having anorifice, a bolt for securing the tailpiece to an instrument, a flange onthe outer face of the shelf, knobs having orifices extendingtherethrough and secured to said flange,- the point of securing thetailpiece to the instrument lying inside of the lower set of knobs,substantially as set forth.

3. In a tailpece for banjos, thecombination of a vertically-extendingplate, a flange at the upper end thereof, knobs secured to said flange,a shelf at the lower end of the plate having a convex outer surface, aflange connected with the outer face of the shelf, knobs secured to saidflange and radiating outwardly, and a bolt for securing the tail-- pieceto an instrument, the head of said bolt being fiattened on one side andits opposite side convex, substantially as set forth.

. CHARLES S. DE LANO.

llitnesses:

J. W. KEMP,

J. E. KNIGHT.

